this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2023
38 points (100.0% liked)

Politics

10180 readers
138 users here now

In-depth political discussion from around the world; if it's a political happening, you can post it here.


Guidelines for submissions:

These guidelines will be enforced on a know-it-when-I-see-it basis.


Subcommunities on Beehaw:


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

In 2020, Trump’s DOJ issued a binding legal opinion that impeachment inquiries are invalid without an official vote of the House.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] EvilColeslaw@beehaw.org 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Does the DOJ's opinion, binding or not, actually matter with respect to this though? Impeachment is solely the prerogative of the House, and more broadly Congress. I don't see how the DOJ as part of the executive branch can thus bind the House at all in this.

(Also worth noting that Impeachment technically isn't a legal matter -- it is a political process.)

[–] Rapidcreek@reddthat.com 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

But typically, Justice Department internal opinions — though they have no binding legal weight in court — are controlling on subsequent administrations unless they’re revoked or superseded by new opinions.

If the House continues with an inquiry, and subpoenas people and records, the White House response will be that their inquiry per legal opinion is invalid and also to pound sand.

Trump wanted to force Pelosi to take a vote and had the DOJ write this opinion. You know what Pelosi did? She took a vote.